Regenerating Rangeland to Enhance Biodiversity

REGENERATING RANGELAND TO ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY

@ Hershey Ranch, Stonewall, TX | Friday December 5th | 9am-5pm

Join us for a one-day workshop on Friday, December 5th at Hershey Ranch in Stonewall TX, an award-winning 1,600-acre regenerative operation in the Texas Hill country, and the largest privately protected property in Gillespie County. We will tour the ranch's oak savannah ecosystem and learn how it uses cattle grazing to restore native grasslands and a thriving wildlife habitat.

A primary goal of leadership there has been to bring back the ranch’s once rich diversity of flora and fauna. Far from being an impediment, they have found that the introduction of large ruminants, when managed properly, has been instrumental in helping to revitalize the ecosystem. We will learn how adaptive grazing can stimulate beneficial natural cycles on the land, while producing superior agricultural products simultaneously. With the help of several leaders in their respective fields of expertise, we will explore topics such as:

• How to graze cattle and other livestock regeneratively
• The importance of soil health
• Holistic Management as a decision-making tool
• Water distribution for effective grazing
• A unique “virtual” electric fencing system
• Assessment of on-farm biological activity and health
• Habitat restoration
• Strategies for erosion control
• USDA programs and funding sources to support regenerative practices

Cost: $20 | Lunch Provided

For More Info: https://www.smallproducersinitiative.org/workshops

This event is open to everyone — farmers, ranchers, landowners and agricultural enthusiasts alike!

Detailed directions and an agenda for this workshop will be emailed to those who register 2-3 days prior to the event. If you do not see that email, please be sure to check your spam. For questions, email hcp22@txstate.edu.

INSTRUCTORS:

Dr. Ken Mix is the Program director of The Small Producer Initiative at Texas State University and currently teaches entomology, soil health, and crop production, with active research on small producer needs, soil, and water resources. He is a former vegetable producer and currently runs SKM Homestead, a small livestock and mixed produce 50-acre farm in Fentress, Texas.

Christine Martin is a Holistic Management International Professional Certified Educator and coaches clients in improving their land, their finances and their quality of life, moving them towards their dream life! On her ranch in Leon County, TX, she raises clean (no chemicals, hormones or antibiotics) and nutrient dense beef, chicken, turkey and eggs, which she sells direct to consumer. Using Holistic Management principles and practices, the livestock are managed to allow the four fundamental ecosystem functions to be restored thus improving the health and carrying capacity of her land.

Hershey Ranch, located in Gillespie County in the Central Texas Hill Country, has a fascinating history. It is composed of property from seven land grants and patents that date back to when Texas was a Colony of Spain. In 1857, the property known today as the Hershey Ranch was once owned by a Scottish cotton factory owner which is unique because Gillespie County was largely settled by Germans. Jake and Teresa Hershey purchased the property in 1976 for cattle ranching. Good land stewardship was always a priority for them. They donated a conservation easement to the Hill Country Land Trust to protect it from future development. It is now the largest piece of protected land in Gillespie County.